Short Change Hero
by Lily1986
Summary: Coulson pays a visit to Ward in prison. Follow up to "All You Wanted". Last in the series.


_This ain't no place for no hero._  
_ This ain't no place for no better man._  
_ This ain't no place for no hero_  
_ To call "home."_

He looked up with a scowl. Coulson walked into the cell with grim look on his face.

"I wondered how long it would take you to come see me," Ward eyed the older man carefully. He looked past him, watching the door close. "May's not with you. I guess that means you're not here to kill me…"

"I came alone."

"Why?"

"To make an offer," Coulson answered quickly.

"Make an offer?" Ward asked as he leaned against a wall with his arms crossed. "Come on, Coulson… Now? After these last few months? That's not your style."

"I'm trying out something new," Coulson said crossing his own arms.

Both men stood inside the small cell, staring each other down, waiting for the other to break.

"It's a onetime deal though," Coulson spoke up. "So if you don't want it…"

He turned toward the door and lifted his arm to knock.

Ward sighed. "Wait."

Coulson smirked before schooling his features as he turned back to the inmate.

"What's the offer?" Ward asked with a shrug.

"You come back… temporarily of course," Coulson said. "Serve part of your sentence serving my team."

"No one wants me around," Ward shook his head. "Why are you asking me to come back?"

"Some of my team is afraid of you," Coulson nodded in confirmation. "That is true. But I have three specialists who can handle you. Their jobs will be to monitor you. Make sure you don't try to screw us over… again."

Ward winced and his jaw clenched as he looked away.

"But this is about Skye."

That caught Ward's attention, making his eyes snap back to Coulson. "What's wrong with Skye?"

"The information you gave her…. About her parents…" Coulson waited for Ward to nod in understanding. "She thinks she's a ticking time bomb."

Ward closed his eyes. "She's not. That's not what Raina meant. I don't think…"

"The truth is that you don't know and neither do we."

"So you need me to infiltrate Raina's operation…" Ward told him. "It'll be difficult. Raina doesn't exactly trust me. And we didn't leave things on a good note. But for Skye… yes. I'll do it."

Coulson shook his head. "I just need you to come on board as a… consultant. There aren't any plans of infiltration at the moment. But if an opportunity presents itself, your volunteering is noted."

"I'm a specialist, Coulson. Use my skill set. Let me-"

"This is the offer." Coulson cut him off. "You can take it or leave it. If you take it, we walk out of here together. You get new clothes… a real bath… and real food… you also get to help Skye. I don't believe your feelings for her were completely false…." Ward swallowed thickly. "But you answer to me. I say jump, you ask me how high. I will never make you do the things that Garrett did… because like you said… that's not my style…. But this doeesn't make you a part of my team… you would only be here to help my team… on a temporary basis. You got that?"

"And if I don't like the terms?" Ward asked defiantly.

"Then you stay here. You carry out your sentence here. A lifetime is a long time but you did commit treason so…" Coulson started. "Or are they handing out the death penalty for all the murders you committed? Who knows what the military plans to do since you technically don't exist. They don't even have to give you a trial, do they?"

Ward swallowed thickly. "If I say yes… we walk out of here… right now?"

"I just knock on this door right here and they let you out of your cage." Coulson pointed to the door behind him.

"You really have the authority to do that?" Ward asked still feeling unsure.

"Didn't I tell you the last time we talked?" Coulson asked. "I'm the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. And that doesn't actually mean anything to the rest of the world but it's kind of a buddy system. I scratch their backs and they scratch mine. Then we just stay out of each other's way."

Ward nodded. "Okay. Fine. I'll do it."

Coulson smiled slowly before knocking on the door. "Well? Are you coming or what?"


End file.
